Tube-cleaner



C. T. COE.

TUBE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED IuNEs. 1911.

Patented Aug. 3, 19%.

k3 SHEETS-SHEET I..

#uw .X f. y f w W u mw u @f W f d. U/.w .MV W 7 rIIL ..OIIL w w M zu IIIIJ MX .9 I?. NJ f@ C M ,Mm

C. T. COE.

TUBE CLEANER.

APPLICAUON F|LED1uNE3,191|.

3 1920. SHEET 2l Patented Aug.

3 S H E E TS- QX) dime/ooe o I C. T. COE.

TUBE CLEANER.

APPUCATION F1LED1uNE3.19|1.

Patented Aug 3, 1920 a SHEETS-SHEET 3 vll-uc 11 To: ll 1A 7 H 0% W 9 u M ,W ff /r/ -9 n L; 1 J d M y 9 0u e w w @L m w CHARLES T. COE, F KEARNEY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'IO

DIAMOND POWER SPECIALTY COMPANY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A COPARTNER- SHIP l.'I( )MIE'OSEII)' 0F RAPHAEL HERMAN AND SAMUEL J.

TUBE-CLEANER.

' isaaaaa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented aug. s, ieee.

Application led June 3, 1911. Serial No. 631,105.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. Con, a citizen of the 'United States, and a resident of Kearne in the county of Hudson-and State of ew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements `in rlube- Cleaners, of which the following is a speciication. l

This invention relates to an attachment for water tube boilers of a character adapted more particularly' to cleanse the tubes or fiues of the boiler of accumulated ash and soot.

The type of watertube boiler for which the present invention is specifically designed is what is known in the art as the inclined tube type, that is to say, the tubes extend obliquely from the fire boX upward or vice Versa, according to the particular type of boiler. These tubes are arranged in horizontal rows, and in order to relieve the same from accumulated material, it has been the practice to vproject blowers through the side walls of the-furnace structure.

In carrying out this process, it was the practice to position the blower in one opening of the boiler wall and after a partial cleansing operation, remove the same and position it in another of the openings, and so on until the cleaning operation was complete. It has been ascertained that this mode of cleansing has involved some considerable time, and the results were not altogether satisfactory, for the reason among others, that the hand of the operator was dependent upon to shift and properly position the nozzle with respect to the tubes, and in many instances it was found that the cleansing operation was not aseHective as necessity demands.

It is contemplated by the present invention, and the primary object of the invention may be briey stated, 'to provldea series of blower elements or nozzles, one for each of the openings in theboiler wall, and a nozzle of the series being arranged in line with the space between the dierent layers of inclined tubes, with means whereby said nozzles Amay be operated slmultaneously with the result that all of the horizontal rows or layers. of tubes may be cleansed at the one operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in combination with a water tube v thereof.

A further .object of the invention is to provlde means whereby the vertical series of nozzles within the openings of the boiler Wall yare eEectively guided in their movement in the general direction of the inclined tubes together with means whereby the series of nozzles will remain in the same relative vertical plane throughout the movement thereof. y

Still other and vfurther objects and improvements, and novel details in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the invention will be appreciated fromV the description to follow, which for a better understanding of the invention Iis to be considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed forthe purpose'of illustration, convenient and satisfactory embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings'r-Figure l is a side elevation of a boiler with my improvements applied thereto, Fig. 2 represents an enlarged 'fragmentary section-of Fig. 1 as on the line v2, 2, Fig. 3 shows an enlarged fragmentary portion of Fig. 1,` Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of a boiler with a modified form of the invention, Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 4 as on the line 5, 5, Fig. 6 shows an enlar ed section of Fig.' 4 as on the line 6, 6, Fig. represents anv enlarged fragmentary portion of Fig.. 5 and Fig. 8 is a section as on the line 8, 8 of Fig. 7.

Referring particularly'to Figs. l to 3 a boiler 15 is shown with the inclined tubes frames are hinged new and novel cleaning doors each preferably comprising the members 23, 24. 'The said members have respectively formed therewith side ianges 25, 26, Y.

top ianges 27, bottomv flan ges 428 and -accompanying anges 29, the latter being connected by clamping bolts 30. The flanges 29 are formed with spherically shaped bearings 35 forming openings in the members 23, 24 of the cleaning doors and spherical covers 36 may be hinged to the cleaning door over the openings of the bearings 35.

Balls 40 having axial openings therethrough are supported in the bearings 35. A main steam supply pipe 41 has extending therefrom the branch outlet pipes 42 to which latter are connected the valves 43. Flexible -conduits 44 are coupled to the valves 43 and extend to the adjustably supported stand pipes 45, from which latter extend outlet nipples 46 having the vent openings 47 and valves 48. The outlet nipples enter the openings in the balls 40.

A clamping ring 50 surrounds each adjustably supported stand pipe 45 and a spring 51 connects each of said rings with its accompanying cleaning door. A pair of clamping rings 54, 55 are bolted to each stand pipe 45, and one of the members of each of the latter clamping rings has extending therefrom a lug 56 with a guide opening for a supporting spindle 57. The spindle 57 has a forked end 58 which carries a pin 59 for a supporting roller v60, which bears on the base plate 204. A collar 61 is fastened to the spindle 57 and a spring 62 bears between the collar 61 and the lug 56 of the clamping ring 54.

A supporting spindle 65 with the roller 66 may be connected up with the upper portion of each stand pipe 45, the rollers 66 bearing up against the roof 19.

To operate the invention steam or com pressed air is delivered from the supply7 pipe 41 and enters the conduits 44, .to flow into the stand pipes 45, and from the latter escapes into and through the outlet nipples 46. From the nipples 46 the fluid enters the boiler between the tubes 16 which are thereby cleaned. The operator by moving the supporting spindles 57 can move the nipples along the inclined spaces between the flues of the boiler, by virture of the adjustments of the balls 40 in their bearings 35 and the flexibility of the spring 62, by means of which all portions of said tubes are cleaned. The springs 51 tend to main*- tain the nipples 46 within the boiler and the guards 21 prevent the nipples 46 from disengaging from the balls 40. It will be observed that the stand pipe is provided with a handle whereby the same may be depressed or elevated, as manipulating conditions require, and in the normal position of the parts, because of the interposed spring member or members 51, the nozzles 46 will be held projected into the furnace, as shown at the top of Fig. 2, but maybe withdrawn from the furnace as shown at the bottom portion of said Fig. 2. The roll 60 enables the stand pipe to move on the base 20 asv the operator wills. In order to cause the nozzles which are flexibly connected to the stand pipe 45, to follow the line of tubes, they are projected to a point where they are located between two of the first vertical tier of tubes as shown more particularly in Fig. 5. Therefore, as the stand pipe is operated by moving eitherto the right or to the left, the nozzles owing to their flexible connections and universal bearing through -the boiler provided by the ball joint will be guided by the first two tubes and caused to move and follow the direction of the tubes. In other words, the nozzles, as a series, may be moved so as to direct the sprays issuing therefrom over a wide area and the direction of movement is covered by the vtubes of the first vertical tier. l

In the modification of the invention a similar boiler is represented at 70 with the inclined tubes 71 and the cleaning frames 72, with the inclined sides 73, roofs 74, and base plates 7 5. The sides 73 are connected by the vertical connecting member 74 which has formed therewith the openings 76 and flanges 77. Doors 78 for the openings V76 have trunnions 79 which are located in the guides 80 in the usual way.

In each of the openings 76 are located the members 85, 86 of a spherical bearing. Screws 87 connect the members 85, 86 and screws 89 clamp the bearings to the connecting members 74. Balls 90 each with an axial opening are supported in the spherical bearings. Semi-spherical covers 91 are hinged to the members 85 of the spherical bearings. l

A main steam supply pipe 92 Ahas extending therefrom branch outlet pipes 93, to

which latter are connected valves( 94.' Flexible conduits 95 are coupled to .the

valves 94 and extend to the stand pipes 96.

Anoperating handle 97 and guide rollers 98 extend from each stand pipe 96. Inclined guide rails 105, 106, are pinned to the inclined sides 7 3 and support the rollers 98. Each of the stand pipes 96 carries a swinging joint 107 and from each of the latter extends an outlet nipple 108, which leads the steam or other fluid-intothe boiler between the flues. The operation of this modification of the invention is evident from the description of its parts, and it will be noted that the inclined guide rails 105, 106 direct the nipples along the inclined spaces between the tubes of the boiler. In this embodiment of the invention the boiler tubes themselves need not be depended upon as the guiding means for causing the nozzles to follow the general inclination of the tubes.

Ventopenings 110 are formed in the nip- .ples 108. The vent openings 110,as well as the vent openings 47, allow the circulation of air in their respective nipples, when the covers se and 91 v cover the/ends' of said nip les. i

. aving described m invention, what I desire to secure by etters vPatent and claim is.: Y

1. In a tube cleaneror a boiler the combination of ta supply pipe, a flexibleconduit extending vfrom said pipe, an adjustably I l supported stand pipe connected to the con- 10 duit, a ball-supported in a bearing o'n the side of the boiler and an outletvnipple ex` tending `from the said stand pipe through said ball,'said stand pipe being adapted in its movement to impart longitudinal as wellas lateral movementto the outlet nipple.

2. In a tube cleaner for a boiler the combination of a supply pipe, a flexible conduit extendingfrorn said pipe, a stand pipe' connectedto the conduit, a ball supported in abearingzon the side of the boiler, an outlet nipple extending from th-stand pipe, a sup-A porting spindle `foi-.the stand pipe', and a iexible connection between the said spindle and stand pipe to allow the nipple to move in an inclined direction when the supporting' spindle moves on a horizontal plane.

3. In a .tube cleaner for a boiler the comi bination of cleaning frames in the side of r se the boiler, cleaning4 doors hinged to each ram'e, spherical bearings formed in the doors, a ball having an axial opening in each bearing, a stand pipe opposite each door,

outlet nipples carried on each stand. pipe extending through said balls, a base plate for each frame, supportingspindles flexibly connected witheach stand pipe, supporting Vrollers for each of said spindles bearing on their accompanying base plate.

' 4. ln a tube cleaner for a boiler the combination of a number of cleaning frames in the side of` the boiler, a cleaning door comprising a pain of members bolted togetherand hinged to each of said frames, spherical bearings formed with the members of each door, a'ball having an opening supported in each bearing, a stand pipe for each,door,` a

base plate extending lfrom each frame,

an outlet nipple extending from the stand pipe, a movable supporting spindle for the stand pipe and a flexible connection between Isaid spindle and the stand pipe.

Signedat the borough of Manhattan, in ,the county of New York and State of New York, this 26th day of May, A. D. 1911.

CHARLES fr. con.

`lllitnesses:

MARTIN ZIMANSKY, A. A. DE BONNEVILLE.

o. n a tube cleaner the combination of a 

